[ROAD TO BEIJING] Short track speed skating

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Published: 31 Jan. 2022, 11:37 Updated: 03 Feb. 2022, 15:04

[ROAD TO BEIJING] Short track speed skating

Hwang Dae-heon competes in the men's 1000-meter final during the ISU World Cup Short Track Speed Skating series in Debrecen, Hungary on Nov. 21, 2021. [XINHUA/YONHAP]

Korea’s biggest focus at the Winter Games has long been short-track speed skating. Korea is a short track powerhouse, with a world-leading 24 Olympic gold medals, well ahead of No. 2 China’s 10.

At the four ISU World Cups ahead of the Games, Korea was able to win three gold, four silver and three bronze medals in the women’s events and four gold, three silver and two bronze medals in the men’s events.

Two athletes to keep an eye out for are Lee Yu-bin, who won two gold medals and two silver medals at the World Cups, and Hwang Dae-heon, who won all four gold medals in the men’s events, as well as three silvers.

At the Beijing Games, the mixed relay short-track speed skating event will debut for the first time.

BY YUN SO-HYANG AND JIM BULLEY [yun.sohyang@joongang.co.kr]